SL_PROFILE_Academy_Notre_Dame_0222_Layout 1 3 / 2 / 22 4 : 28 PM Page 2 ACADEMY OF NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR BY THE NUMBERS 9 - to - 1 137 61 20 78 THE NUMBER THE NUMBER PERCENTAGE STUDENTS IN OF ADVANCED OF FACULTY / STAFF THE STUDENT ? TO ? THE SIZE OF THE GRADES SIX PLACEMENT CLASSES WITH ADVANCED TEACHER RATIO TEACHING FACULTY THROUGH EIGHT OFFERED DEGREES her career path ; prior to becoming an admin - istrator , Dr . Hotchkiss taught various levels of mathematics . “ Since then , all - girls ’ schools have changed in regard to their mission to empower students to go into the world , ” she adds . “ We value the importance of teaching girls science and all the skills young women will need when performing arts , all while deepening their and questioning . In a single - sex environment , they enter the world . We want to make sure faith and finding new sources of inspiration . however , we see the girls grow confidence , they’re prepared to go to college and know In the process , young people begin to under - competence , a better sense of self , and a how to write a research paper , raise their stand who they are and what’s important to willingness to take risks . ” hand and have something to say , and not be them , according to Associate Head of School This knowledge compelled Notre Dame drowned out by male voices . Liz Willis , Ph.D . to create The Riley Center for STEM Education . “ That’s why we keep our class sizes “ Middle school may not be the most ele - Opened in April 2019 , the 30,000 - square - foot intentionally small , ” she continues . “ Our gant or comfortable age , but it is an opportunity center includes technology - enabled active teachers have their eyes on students every to take risks , ask questions , make mistakes , learning ( TEAL ) environments , with labora - day . On any given day , our middle school and do something different , ” Dr . Willis says . tories , classrooms , and other resources devoted director , Bridget Bonner , can go to a teacher “ The best middle school experiences are to STEM subjects such as design and entre - and ask how a specific student did that day when there are open fields of curiosity and preneurship , robotics , coding , and engineering . and get a full answer . That’s just another creativity . Our students are given that here . ” The school’s investment in STEM has paid benefit we have here . ” A Notre Dame Middle School student off , as one - third of Notre Dame graduates Dr . Hotchkiss has worked in all - girls ’ will take six core academic classes . She will pursue STEM majors in college , according to schools her entire working life , and she also discover opportunities to delve into the Dr . Hotchkiss . believes Notre Dame is unique in its develop - arts curriculum — chorus , dance , and visual “ An impressive element of the middle ment of each student’s mind , body , and spirit . and digital arts . Further development also school experience is the vast extracurricular Notre Dame students learn to enter the world comes through interactions with older peers , club program , which is driven largely by as kind , strong , and well - rounded individuals as students from Notre Dame’s middle and student interest and leadership , ” she adds . who advocate for themselves . upper schools walk the same halls . “ Students can try opportunities in robotics , “ At Notre Dame , it’s about communication Dr . Willis underscores the importance of computer programming , justice , and women’s in all shapes and forms , ” Dr . Hotchkiss says . an all - girls ’ educational experience . Specifically , health issues , among others . ” “ It’s about the written and spoken word , and she says girls in a single - gender environment As Dr . Hotchkiss discusses present - day data that’s critical to the future of education . tend to develop more self - confidence in the Notre Dame , she recalls her own experience The reality is that these girls may one day get sciences , have higher levels of cultural com - as a young woman . She was among the few jobs that don’t even exist yet . What’s important petency , and strengthen their desire to get girls in high school who were interested in here at Notre Dame is to prepare them to be ? involved in the community . STEM , and her interest wound up guiding good people first . ” “ There is tremendous value in all - girls ’ education , especially at the moment of preteen - hood and middle school , ” she says . ? Academy of Notre Dame de Namur “ In a multi - gender environment , girls in middle school are less prone to academic risk - taking 560 Sproul Road | Villanova , PA 19085 | ( 610 ) 687 - 0650 | www.ndapa.org SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM VOLUME 13 ISSUE 6 | 47